Thanks, Hartmut. It sounds like cowling cracks are part of the cost of doing business. I mentioned my problem to the owner of a flight school and maintenance shop, and he said that he had cracked cowlings that needed repair on his Cessna planes. It seems like every used nose cowling that I have seen on eBay has some patchwork done on them. I guess there is just no way to isolate cowling from the vibrations of the engine.
Thanks. Frank Nelson N51DV - 415C TOA --- In [email protected], "Hartmut Beil" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Frank. > > All Ercoupe cowlings seem to crack. > It is just a matter of time. Fixing them with a patch is the way for a fast success. A new cowling presumingly needs time to be fitted accordingly and it is just a matter of time until it cracks too. > I think I remember someone stating that cracks happen even to the fiberglass bowls - there seems to be no way out. > I had mine repaired a few times over the few years I owned it. > > I assume a vibrating engine is contributing to the problem. > > > Hartmut > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: fnelson913 > To: [email protected] > Sent: Monday, April 07, 2008 6:52 PM > Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Cracking Up > > > The number of ways that I can be interrupted from completing my > checkride seem to be without end. I only want a few more hours of > practice and a couple of more hours with an instructor to review my > practical test skills. Unfortunately I have a nose cowling that is > cracking up. It had a patched crack going from the prop hole to > toward the cylinder cooling vent. It originally (when I got the > Coupe) had a reinforcing plate riveted in place. Since I have been > flying again, one side of the rivets came out and the crack extended > all the way across. I secured the crack with a temporary fix using > duct tape on the back and did some touch and go practice work until > I could get my A&P to work on it. The next time I checked it, I now > had new cracks (three more) in different places with one parallel to > original crack that was threatening to dispatch a 6 by 8 inch > section of the cowling into the great unknown. Reluctantly, I have > grounded my Ercoupe until I have an acceptable solution. So I have a > few questions that I would hope that I could get someone to > entertain. Thank you in advance. > > 1) Is my cowling a goner - can it be effectively repaired? > 2) I know that a new cowling from Univair costs close to nine bills. > Not that I don't know that owning an aircraft is an expensive habit, > but I just got out of an annual that took a $3k notch out of my > budget. Are used nose cowlings available in reasonable condition for > reasonable prices (the one on eBay has holes and cut-outs that I > don't need)? > 3) My A&P asked if I could be a fiberglass cowling. I know that > there are after market cowlings from Kenney, but I got the > impression that they were out of business. Are Kenney nose cowlings > still available and are they better than a metal one? > > Thanks to everyone. > > Frank Nelson > N51DV - 415C > TOA >
